Mary Berry Chocolate Refrigerator Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's chocolate refrigerator cake is a rich, dark, no-bake chocolate slice with biscuits, nuts, and dried fruit — set firm and sliced into squares.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Setting Time 2 30

Total Time 2 50

Servings: 16 Squares

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 265

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Refrigerator Cake:
300 g good quality dark chocolate 70%, finely chopped
150 g unsalted butter cubed
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp cocoa powder sifted
250 g digestive biscuits broken into rough irregular pieces
75 g glacé cherries halved and rinsed
75 g sultanas or raisins
75 g roasted hazelnuts or blanched almonds roughly chopped
50 g mini marshmallows optional
50 g white chocolate chips optional
Top Coating:
100 g dark chocolate 70%, melted
1 tbsp golden syrup
To Finish:
Icing sugar or cocoa powder for dusting
Crushed pistachios or gold sprinkles optional

Method

Line tin with parchment overhang on all sides.
Melt chocolate, butter, golden syrup, and cocoa over barely simmering water — stir until smooth and glossy. Cool 10 minutes.
Add biscuit pieces — stir to coat. Add cherries, sultanas, nuts, marshmallows, and white chocolate chips if using — stir until evenly distributed.
Spoon into tin — press firmly and evenly. Refrigerate 2 hours minimum.
Stir golden syrup into melted dark chocolate — spread over the set cake in a thin, even layer. Refrigerate 30 more minutes.
Lift out using parchment. Dust with cocoa or icing sugar. Cut into squares with a hot knife — wipe clean between every cut.

Notes

Break biscuits by hand into rough, irregular pieces — varied texture is one of the great pleasures of this recipe.

Use 70% dark chocolate — the chocolate is the only real flavour. Quality matters enormously.

Cool chocolate 10 minutes before adding fillings — warm chocolate melts marshmallows and white chocolate chips.

Press firmly into the tin — dense pressing gives clean, compact squares.

Hot knife dipped in water between each cut — prevents chocolate cracking and gives professional edges.

Stores in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freezes in squares for up to 3 months.